KOSAL SAHITYA ACADEMY AWARDS

KOSAL SAHITYA SANSKRUTI ACADEMY announced its felicitations for contribution to Kosli language and literature for the year 2011 for different categories as follows:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

1) Sri Atal Bihari Panda
2) Sri Kapileswar Prasad Mahapatra
3) Sri Shrikara Mishra

LANGUAGE & LITERATURE

1) Dr. Dolagobind Bishi, Titilagarh ( Essay)
2) Shri Bipin Acharya, Sambalpur (Poetry)
3) Professor Kesharanjan Pradhan, Padampur (Drama)
4) Shri Dhanpati Mohapatra, Bargarh (Novel)
5) Dr. Santosh Kumar Rath, Balangir ( Story )

The presentation ceremony will be held at Sonepur on 30th Oct. 2011.

For More Details Contact :-

Saket Sreebhushan Sahu
Editor, Beni

Email :- sampadakbeni@gmail.com

Deaf & Dumb Orissa Govt Silent On Farmer Suicide In Kosal

Courtesy - NDTV

In a small village in Western Orissa's Sambalpur district, in a small house, a family looks to its neighbours for support. 61-year-old Shukla Chand killed himself by drinking pesticide. In this part of Western Orissa, this has become a frighteningly familiar story. Since November, 11 farmers from here have killed themselves.

Farmers have been catapulted from one crisis to another in Western Orissa since 2009. Floods, drought, and then exceptionally heavy rainfall last year before the harvest. The deaths of 100 farmers have officially been registered as suicides. The state government says it wasn't their failed crops that drove them to their death.

For farmers whose crops were wiped out by pre-harvest rains, the Centre has sanctioned Rs. 400 crore for Andhra Pradesh and another Rs. 600 crore for Maharashtra. No compensation for Orissa has been announced so far.

The state government, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of the Biju Janata Dal, has offered to pay farmers Rs. 400 per acre for rain-fed areas and Rs. 800 per acre for irrigated land - only if the farmers can prove he has lost his entire crop. But farmers point out they invest at least Rs. 9,000 per acre for their paddy crop. So the compensation being offered is worthless.

For farmers like Shukla Chand, it seems like there's no one on their side. His suicide note says after his last crop of paddy failed just before the harvest, the loans he owed seemed insurmountable. He had cultivated eight acres of paddy with an initial investment of Rs. 80,000. He then took a bank loan of five lakh to buy a tractor, and another three lakh from private money lenders. When heavy rains destroyed his standing crop in November last year, he could no longer cope.

"The Centre and state are playing a cruel joke on our farmers. The policy to compensate for losses due to calamities has not kicked in. There are thousands of farmers like Shukla Chand who are not dead as yet, but on the verge of death," says Saroj, the leader of a local cooperative of farmers.

Nuakhai Bangalore 2010 Celebrated With Great Flavour

On 26th Sept 2010, “Nuakhaibhet Cultural and Welfare Association” organized the 10th anniversary of “Nuakhaibhet” celebration in National Games Village, Bengaluru. This function is organised in consonance with “Nuakhai”, the harvest festival widely celebrated in KOSAL (western parts of Odisha). Non resident Kosali's residing in Bengaluru, has been organizing this function since last ten years.

Renowned cartoonist Dr. Aswini Kumar Rath from Balangir graced this function as Chief Guest. On this occasion “Nuakhaibhet Cultural and Welfare Association” also felicitated Aswini-Abani, the only cartoonist brother duo of the world. Internationally prize winning cartoons of Aswini-Abani were also exhibited during this occasion.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary year of the celebration a souvenir “Surta” was released

containing articles on the festivals, food, culture and also progress at Bengaluru. Prime Minister

Dr.Manmohan Singh and Smt. Sonia Gandhi expressed their wishes to the community through this magazine.

Chief convenor Mr.Abhimanyu Gadtia gave an overall perspective of “Nuakhai” as a function and

its importance in maintaining the cultural harmony. Sri Gopal Mishra, Sri …. (san barsa agyan) also addressed the gathering.

“Chitrasen Musical Group” from Titlagarh, Odisha, spellbound the audience with their sambalpuri musical performances with instruments like “Nissan”, “Tasa” and “Dhol”. Many local artists also added colours to the function with their folk songs and dances.

Apart from the cultural activities the most popular program was the Western Orissa quiz competition, which generated a lot of curosity amongst the present audience.

Also ladies Musical chair,Children Drawing competition and Nuakhai Talent Hunt was enjoyed by all and one.

Many intellectuals from Bengaluru and outside were present in the function which was attended by more than 500 people.

People also enjoyed the local cuisines of Kosal like Kardi bhendi Khata, Alu putal etc

Big Dams and Protests in India: A Study of Hirakud Dam

This article examines the movement against the construction of the Hirakud dam in Western Orissa. It is evident that the domestic resistance to the project was variously compromised by nationalist rhetoric, imperatives of state development and absence of transnational support. The Hirakud dam project has failed on all of its objectives – flood management, hydropower production, irrigation and navigation. Its socio-economic impact has been devastating.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE DETAILED REPORT

http://kddf.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/hirakud1.pdf

This research paper is a copyright work of Arun Kumar Nayak

Courtsey :- Koshal Discussion and Development Forum

Join KDDF Forum :-

http://groups.google.com/group/westernodisha?pli=1

Why Orissa as a state can't develop?

By Anand Sagar Dash

The Government of India’s National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) in a report has released the well-being index of India. The same tell about the quality of life in India. This report has mentioned that six districts of Orissa being in the list of worst twenty districts of India. Rayagada district ranks the worst in India followed by Kandhamal, Nuapada, Bolangir, Koraput and Bargarh, all in Western and Southern part of the state, are ranked at 4,9,10 & 19 from the bottom respectively.

It has been many years since the Government. of India has been pumping thousands of Crores as special budget for the welfare of these districts of Western and Southern Orissa through scheme like KBK. Then how is it that after so many years of huge money inflow into these districts there is no change in statistics? Who is accountable for this mishap? Is the Chief functionary of the state not responsible for this?”

Orissa, one of the poorest of states in the Indian union, is inhabited by more than 24% of tribal population concentrated mostly in North-Western, Western and Southern part of the state. Due to the negligence of all successive state governments, the development of these three patches are far behind the Coastal Orissa tract by any parameter even though these regions are full of minerals and natural resources.

In two occasions, during 1936 and 1948, these tribal dominated Western and Southern regions amalgamated into then Orissa division (precisely the present Coastal Orissa) from erstwhile Central and Madras presidency of British ruled India respectively to form Orissa state in the line of linguistic similarities. But, reality is, till now the native people residing in these regions don’t know how to speak the state official language Odiya, which is practiced in Coastal Orissa districts in particular. Vast region of Western Orissa communicate in variants of Sambalpuri language (also termed as Kosli by some) and with numerous tribal languages practiced by the indigenous tribal population. This leads to poor enrolment in school which encourages Odiya as the medium of education and thus a high school dropout rate is seen in these regions. Students are forced to learn Odiya language in school which is different than what they practice in day to day life.

The differentiation between the then Orissa Division (Coastal Orissa) and the newly added Western and Southern regions is well maintained by all successive state Governments, while allocating funds and in developmental works.

Inhabited by app.50% of the state population (17,899,735 as per 2001 Census) and spread in 28.73% of total land of the state (44,355.4 Sq Km), this Coastal Orissa tract is given utmost priority by all the successive state governments and have been enjoying all sorts of developmental works in the name of Orissa. Where as a vast land with more than 71.27% of the total land area of Orissa state (109,992 Sq Km), and with a population of little above half of the state population is depriving basic needs.

It is pity that present state government too, has done nothing to minimize the gap between the coastal and the rest of Orissa in its decade long rule; but increasing it by concentrating every developmental activity in and around the state capital Bhubaneswar. During this government’s tenure, all the national institutes for higher studies and research sanctioned by the central government are established or proposed to establish in and around Bhubaneswar. Due to this capital centric attitude, common masses refer the Chief Minister Nabin Pattnaik as the Mayor of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation than the CM of the state.

In recent development except for the Central University, all the educational and research institutes of national repute, such as Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), etc awarded by Central Government for the entire state are located in and around Bhubaneswar. This has brought a distinction for Bhubaneswar as the only city in India to have an IIT, AIIMS and NISER at one location.

Central Government has also proposed to establish a National Innovative University (World Class), National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), ESI Medical College and Hospital, Railway Medical College in Bhubaneswar, and another IIIT in Berhampur in Coastl Orissa, neglecting the rest state.
Existing and proposed Central funded National Institutes and Universities in Orissa:

Rest Orissa Coastal Orissa
1. NIT, Rourkela, Dist. Sundargarh 1. IIT, Bhubaneswar
2. Central University, Koraput 2. IIT – Kharagpur, Bhubaneswar Branch
3. Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, (IIHT), Bargarh 3. National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubanneswar
4. Food Craft Institute, Balangir 4. AIIMS like Institute, Bhubaneswar
5. IIIT, Bhubaneswar
6. National University, Bhubaneswar (proposed)
7. IIIT, Berhampur (Work on progess)
8. Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (IITTM), Bubaneswar
9. Institute of Minerals and Material Technology, Bhubaneswar
10. Indian Institute of Mass Communications,(IIMC), Dhenkanal
11. Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack
12. Biju Pattanaik National Steel Institute (BPNSI), Puri
13. Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Bhubaneswar
14. Eastern Regional Language Centre for CILL, Bhubaneswar
15. Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar
16. Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar
17. Regional Medical Research Centre, (RMRC), Bhubaneswar
18. Central Fisheries Institute, Kousalyaganga, Bhubaneswar
19. Regional Research Laboratory,Bhubaneswar
20. National Research Centre for Women in Agriculture (NRCWA), Bhubaneswar
21. Ocean Science and Technology Cell (OSTC), Berhampur
22. National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research (NIRTAR), Cuttack
23. National Institute of Design (NID), Bhubaneswar (Proposed)
24. NIFT, Bhubaneswar (Proposed)

If you consider the allotment of health facilities in the state the picture of disparities done towards the rest of the tribal regions of the state gets crystal clear. There is just one state run Medical College, viz, VSS Medical College & Hospital, Burla in Sambalpur for the entire Western Orissa, there are state run SCB Medical college in twin cities of Bhubaneswar - Cuttack , MKCG Medical College in Berhampur, a city just 179 Km from Bhubaneswar by Road and 165 Km by train.

Mahandi Coal Field Ltd. (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, a Central Government entity which has operation in Western as well as Central Orissa, is too establishing a Medical College Hospital in Talcher Town, 150 Km from state Capital Bhubaneswar, with state government’s active persuasion. The defense dept has proposed to set up a medical college in Baleswar, another town in Coastal Orissa with a distance of 198 Km by Road from Bhubaneswar.

State government has recently proposed to upgrade Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar to a Medical College with a hoping budget of 32.5 Crores. It is also been proposed to set up Government. Medical College & Hospital in Baleswar where as the state government is trying to establish 3 Private Medical Colleges in backward tribal dominated Western Orissa in PPP mode since last 15 years through Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) with a financial grant of 5 Crores each. There is no progress seen in establishing these Medical colleges in these backward regions of Orissa.

So, a question instantly arises in mind, “Why private Medical College & Hospital for poor tribal region of Western Orissa, who can’t afford a full meal a day and central and state funded Government. Medical Colleges & Hospitals for Coastal Orissa?” Is this not pure discrimination?
Central and State sponsored Medical Institutions in Orissa

Rest Orissa Coastal Orissa
1. VSS Medical College, Burla, Sambalpur 1. SCB Medical college, Cuttack
2. Medical College under Central University, Koraput 2. SCB Dental College, Cuttack
3. MKCG Medical College, Berhampur
4. Capital Medical College, Bhubaneswar
5. AIIMS, Bhubaneswar (Proposed)
6.ESI Medical College and Hospital, Bhubaneswar (Proposed)
7. Medical College under National Innovative University, Bhubaneswar (Proposed)
8. ECO Railway Medical College, Bhubaneswar (Proposed)
9. Medical College by MCL, Talcher, a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd
10. Medical College, Balasore (Proposed by State Government.)
11. Medical College, Balasore (proposed by Defence dept)

Points to notice that Balangir, Kalahandi, in this back ward Western Orissa, many times have created news in national media for starvation deaths. Low-income people in these backward districts can hardly afford the cost of good health care even for their children who suffer from early death, under nutrition and anemia. As against the State figure of 65 infant deaths per 1000 life births, district like Kalahandi in the Western Orissa had 119 infant deaths.

Prevalence of undernourishment among children is also high in these tribal dominating districts. The health situation is really gloomy if we look at maternal death rates. Women in these households work hard at home, in the fields, bear children and do not get the medical attention while giving birth to children.

Occurrence of malaria remains a threat to the people in the tribal areas. As many as 158 blocks in tribal districts, which contribute 70 per cent of the malarial cases, suffer the worst. Sometimes outbreak of mysterious diseases in these regions takes a heavy toll of life. Poverty and deprivation leave very little money with people to spend on the treatment of diseases and illness.

The state government is earning maximum revenue from these under developed tribal belts through mining and industries. When the industries are exploiting and polluting the region, are opening health care units and educational facilities in Coastal Orissa with state government’s active persuasion. The recent Vedanta group promoted World Class University in Puri- Konark Road with a budget of 15,000 Cr and in an area of 6,000 Acre sets the perfect example. Vedanta Industries Ltd has established two Aluminum plants in Western Orissa, the refinery unit and captive power plant at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi District and smelter plant with captive power plant at Jharsuguda, where as it is opening its 100 bed capacity burn and trauma care unit in Bhubaneswar, which i

s at a distance of 400 Km from Jharsuguda and more than 450 Km from Lanjigarh.

Hundreds of crores rupees received from central government in the name of KBK has become a source of exploitation for the state government. The head quarter of the KBK scheme is at the state capital Bhubaneswar, far away from the problems people are facing in their every day life. This century of exploitation by all successive state government since the formation of the state in 1936, towards these tribal pockets has forced them to shout for a separate state of Kosal comprising 11 districts and a sub-division of Western Orissa. Also, the Maoist guerillas are spreading in rest tribal districts in rapid speed taking advantage of this. These entire exploitation stories remind the colonial era and raise some fundamental questions about democratic rights in India.

Why People of Western Orissa are silent on any developmental issue?

Written By Anand Sagar Dash

NEED is the mother of all invention/ revolution/ agitation/ aggression. When there is no need of any thing, humans sit idle and so do our people from Western Orissa irrespective of any age group.

When you don’t study, there is no need of a school, college or a higher level institution. In the PG courses in the SambalpurUniversity, you will find many students from Coastal Orissa. In VSSUT and VSS Medical College, the ratios of students from both the regions are 30% from Western and 70% from Coastal belt though it is located in Western Orissa. Students from Western Orissa are not so studious in general. They show poor performance than their coastal counterparts in any competitive exam .This is the reason why no demand comes from place like Sambalpur for higher level institutions. At present context, I find people from Kalahandi are more aware and needy for any such development. So, they are demanding at various levels and have achieved to certain extend to put their resentments to the state govt. We are in a democratic society. No govt. can ignore organized genuine demands coming from a region for long time. Neither any local political representative will be able to ignore because he has to be in the game too.

We are not complete as a social group. There are huge spaces vacant with in us. For our education need we are dependent on schools and course materials designed by Coastal Orissa people. Remember that Western Orissa became a part of Orissa only after 1936 onward in two phases. Prior to 1936 AD we don’t have known history of organized education delivery system. There is no book in Sambalpuri on Children education. Till now we are not capable enough to publish a full fledge News paper in our language. The native people certainly don’t need any such thing otherwise it would have happened much before. When there is a demand, supply automatically comes from various sources. But, it is not that demand cann’t be created.

Our people have a habit of appreciating any thing coming from Coastal Orissa as sacred, civilized, ritualistic, etc. Except for the Sambalpuri folk music, dance, weaving techniques and cultivation people from Western Orissa are dependent on coastal orissa people in everything. So, we can consider the people of Western Orissa are basically a peasant class and are satisfied with their cultivation, music, dance, and of course with the world famous handloom. They hardly migrate any where outside their locality for better earning.Rourkela is a perfect example, though it is in Western Orissa and once known as the financial hub for entire Orissa has no sizable population from other districts of Western Orissa. Also, we need everything in our backyard. We are group of very self centered people.

When the migration happening from Western Orissa, it is for survival where as it is for better prospects that people from coastal orissa migrate. Our is limited to non-skilled jobs such as brick-kiln labour, rickshaw pulling, domestic help, etc where as coastal orissa people migrate as plumbers, cooks, security guards, etc and they are doing well. Earlier it was Biharis who were doing plumbing jobs in all metros. Now they are completely replaced by people particularly from Bhadrak, Jajpur area. Again Bengalis had occupied jobs in cooking profession every where, now it is partially replaced by Oriyas. I surprised to find almost all restaurants in Hyderabad City operated fully by Oriyas from Jajpur - Bhadrak dist. You will find the owner will be a local guy where as all the staffs from chef to waiters, to manager are from coastal orissa.

There is no historical evidence that we have ruled ourselves widely in any point of time in history. The existing branch ofPatna royal dynasty, Balangir links itself with Chowhans from Mayeenapuri near Agra. Most of the existing elected MLAs, MPs, Municipality chairmen, etc from Western Orissa have a different origin than it. So, we can consider people from Western Orissa are not developed enough to understand the system of ruling self. This is why you will find lukewarm response to any such self reliant movement in the region. They are habituated to pay tax who ever rule them. And they certainly don’t have a need for it.

If you see the pattern of casting votes in Western Orissa, you will notice that they go in a sway of money and other influential things. There is lack of understanding among people about who is giving what to them. I have noticed for plans and money sanctioned by the Central Govt for any particular scheme in the region they give credit to Nabin Pattnaik and award with votes. This shows their level of understanding politics and administration.

In the last election the anger of farmers went against ruling BJD and in favour of Congress. Though there was a local party, KKD which was supporting the farmer’s cause for water and was against blind industrializations too, but people didn’t consider it and trusted Congress, as inherited genetically not to believe in self rule. In past, having such situation people of Andhra had supported heavily to NTR led Telugu Desam, Tamil people to MGR’s led DMK and Coastal Orissa people to BJD. There is absolutely no existence of Congress and BJP in Coastal Orissa.

When it went against their earning directly the peasant class raised their voice against the BJD led govt and demonstrated with a human chain of 30 000 people voluntarily against the decision of supplying Hirakud Dam water to the industry. Where as no employee of Balangir Anchalik Grmya Bank (BAGB) opposed the renaming of it to Utkal Grmya Bank because it didn’t hamper their earnings. So, the concept of self identity, Kosal nationalism has not developed yet among the people ofWestern Orissa which is very prominent among coastal Oriyas for Kalinga and Utkala. The people of Western Orissa are still at a stage of thinking only about their livelihood and not any thing beyond called Kosli nationalism.

Sometimes, it forces me to think why people from Western Orissa except Balangir- Sonepur region don’t connect themselves with Kosal where as history says that Sambalpur, Bilaspur and Raipur were forming South Kosal throughout the time. In Sambalpur region Hirakhand name is more prominent and accepted by people as it is related to the last 500 years of history and to a native name and power which had evolved in local land with the help of local tribes. Some one can argue that Hirakhand is a recent past and Kosal is an ancient one. In that line when we remember and connect ourselves with “Bharat”, then how can we forget our own land’s name within Bharat.

During 6^th – 7^th century Sonepur was the capital of Kosal - Utkal under the Somavanshis originally from Chhattisgarh region for many years but, there too you will not find people connecting with Kosal patriotism. It is true that when a capital shifts most of the ruling class migrate to the new place leaving the old one deserted. After Sonepur the Somavanshis had shifted their capital to Jajpur area in Coastal Orissa.

It is equally true that neither have we accepted the names Utkal or Kalinga. So, I think this patch of hilly, forest tract of western orissa was never known as Kosal, Kalinga or Utkal but becoming a part of the mighty kingdoms around it time to time.

The Western Orissa people lack entrepreneurship skill, Bhulia caste is an exception. Majority of the population are dependent on traditional cultivation and aspirants for Govt jobs with lesser work load. We can’t blame if a person from coastal orissa opens a Singhda Bara stall in Sambalpur or Jharsuguda or any where in Western Orissa because there is a vacant space and is not filling up by any local person. During my last visit to Jharsuguda, I found Berhampurias have opened small snacks stalls at different places around Sarbhal and selling Singhda, Bara,etc in greater volumes. One after one carrier vehicles were halting at the stalls carrying many industrial labours who were the customers for the stalls. The snacks stall is just an example of our lack of entrepreneurship. No one stops us from opening business in our own area. Blaming others doesn’t works always. Just go and find the small venders in your own locality and you will be surprised that they are mostly controlled by outsiders. In places like Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur it is worst than any where. The situation is totally contrast in coastal Orissa. All the business establishments are controlled by themselves. I happened to see a place called Pahala at the outskirt of BBSR. It delighted me to find the people there, so skilled and aggressive in marketing their sweets which is not found any where in West Orissa.

Many words of the native Sambalpuri origin have lost or in a process to loose their existence to substitutes from Oriya. In many cases the owed substitutes are of lesser relevant technically or pronounced wrongly than the native words which have more similarities with Sanskrit/ Hindi. For example, words like muphli/ mukhli was earlier used by the native Sambalpuri speakers for groundnuts, which has been replaced by the word Badam from Oriya (with influence from Bengali), where asBadam should be used for Almond. In Hindi, a groundnut is known as Mumphalli and almond as Badam. Now a days, people feel shy to address their sisters as Bahen which has close relation with Hindi Behen and use loaned word from coastal orissa, Bhauni.

Culturally too we have started bending towards coastal Orissa. Western Orissa is known for its Shakti cult and Matrupuja. So, there are local Goddesses Samaleswari, Patnewari, Sureswari, Manikeswari, Ghanteswari, Ghantasuni, Pitabali etc in every town and place here. But, if you notice, construction of new temple for these Goddesses has stopped and in all villages and town the new trend has evolved to buildJagannath Temple.

We are a social group of people who are influenced by every other thing that comes from outside world. We lack role models of our own. Females in cities want to look like Marwadis or Hindi people. When Sambalpuri Saree is world famous and has agreat demand out side the state, the native wants some thing different than it. Young masses, those who are studying in Convent or CBSE board feel shy to talk in Sambalpuri and use Hindi. I am not against Hindi but, here I am concerned with the hesitation of speaking in Sambalpuri. If you go to any pseudo Mall in Sambalpur, the sales gals and boys are instructed to speak with you in Oriya or Hindi, but not in Sambalpuri. Even if you ask in Sambalpuri they will reply you in Oriya or Hindi where as they talk among themselves in Sambalpuri.

This is a society of ungrateful people. If you find any institution in and around Sambalpur, you will find every thing is named after Veer Surendra Sai. That is good but we need to look beyond that too. Except for Kunjelpada after Kunjelsingh Bariha, and BirsaMunda Chowk at Ainthapali none of the establishment is named after any of the freedom fighter from local or tribal origin. There were many who had laid their life for their mother land. Sambalpur Municipality chairman is interested to name a road in Khetrajpur area after his father, some X Tiwari who has no contribution for Sambalpur but, can never think of the actual righteous person.

This is a society which is busy celebrating many festivals throughout the year and is content with its music, dance, and drama. It has little need for self rule. This is a tribal instinct people have developed because of century of coexistence that no matter what evil happens in their life the tribals don’t forget to drink and dance at the end of the day. History says which ever race or country has won the war of self rule, have involved itself fully in the movement leaving all amusement till it has achieved its goal. We don’t find any such zeal among people of this part.

When every one is ok with the system, there is no need of any uprising or demand. In history I have read that when contingents of invading army were arriving to interior parts of India they were not facing any opposition from the tribals but getting directions from them. They are list bothered who is ruling the land and are comfortable within their way of life unaware of civilized way of ruling the land by themselves. Western Orissa is inhabited mostly by tribals (app. 46%). Situation has not changed here till now. The awareness level for civilized way ruling a region/ land is almost similar to what it was earlier.

This is a general view and is not applicable to every one in the Western Orissa society. As a society it is composed of many different types of people from different races, castes, religions, and origin. Also, no society remains primitive for ever. Different societies and races have taken different amount of time to develop themselves. For Western Orissa society it will take much more time to develop in this line from now.

XIMB Campus in Balangir Soon - Reports

India's one of the top B-School, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) soon will be opening its’ new Campus at Balangir.

If reports from local media are to be believed then Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already green signalled to the expansion of XIMB to Balangir.

This will be the first top Management Insitution in Western Odisha (KOSAL).

Thanks to the efforts of A U Singh Deo, Minister Planning & Coordination, XIMB II will provide Post Graduate Diploma in Management(Rural Management)(PGDM-RM).

XIMB Director Fr.P T Joseph has taken all the initiatives to expand the institution in Western Odisha (KOSAL).

Mr.Singh Deo and Fr.Joseph held several rounds of discussion to make it happen during the month, said sources.

Then Mr.Singh Deo brought it to the notice of Chief Minister and Mr.Patnaik agreed immediately for the proposal.


Accordingly a High Powered Committee headed by S P Nanda, Development Commissioner was formed to scrutinize the proposal.

Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, Principal Secretary Finance strongly felt that under the new economic reforms regime there is a crying need to bridge the corporate sector and rural society.

And setting up of a MBA teaching institution at Balangir will go a long way in this regard, felt he.

HPC has decided to provide 25 acres land free of cost and XIMB has agreed to set its Rural Campus at Balangir.

XIMB has made an innovative departure by emphasizing the need to expand the use of management science to rural sector in the form of creating managers not only for corporate sector but also for the social sector.

The basic objective of introducing two years Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Rural Management) (PGDM-RM) course is to inject professionalism in the field of rural economy.

XIMB, which is running PGDM-RM courses here with 60 seats has decided to open 120 seats at Balangir Campus.

Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, MP Balangir has discussed the issue at length with Fr.Joseph.

In the meantime the Director XIMB has already visited Balangir to identify the land, which needs to be transferred to XIMB, said sources.

Let's hope XIMB will not turn into another Balangir Medical College kind of False promise ..... Thank god after seven decades of independece Balangir got atleast one good news..

Chronic hunger killed 50 in Balangir Dist. due to Criminal Negligence by Orissa State Govt.

Read below the chilling facts about the gross human rights violation happening in Balangir dist of Kosal region...Can you imagine 50 hunger deaths in last two years...Yes it is true...The m****** F****** Orissa state govt. is in a denial mood from the last many years where as people are dying of hunger, selling their child for two time of meals, migrating to other state in search of livelihood...And what to say about our elected representatives ? licking their master's boot in BBSR ...60 years of criminal negligence towards KOSAL region has created todays situation where our people are being forcefully displaced to give land to the multinationals like Vedanta, our farmers share of water from the Hirakud Dam is being diverted for the Industries...Our people have given the greatest sacrifice when 40,000 families were displaced to build Hirakud Dam to save coastal orissa from Flooding....and now those people are back stabbing us....Now time has come to take the destiny in our own hand a create a separate state of Kosal full of prosperiety and impartiallity......JAI KOSAL....MAY MAA SAMALEI GIVE ENOUGH STRENGHT TO THE POOR PEOPLE OF BALANGIR AND KOSAL SO THAT THEY CAN FIGHT AGAINST THE CORRUPT AND IMPOTENT STATE ADMIN.......

Written by Priya Ranjan Sahu for Hindustan Times (publish dt. 24th Feb 2010)

Nine-year-old Ram Prasad Bariha saw his brother, sister and mother die within a month — September 2009. His father, Jhintu Bariha (42), followed a month later. The dreaded Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) belt of Orissa is yet to come out of the starvation-migration-death cycle. It accounts for 71 per cent of the state’s families below poverty line (BPL).The Bariha family of Chabrapali village of Balangir district’s Khaprakhol block is no exception. In the last two years, 50 people in the 30-45 age group died of chronic hunger and prolonged malnourishment in Balangir, according to members of affected families and social organisations active in the area.
HT visited five blocks of Balangir — Khaprakhol, Belpada, Tureikela, Bangomunda and Muribahal — where the deaths have orphaned 300 children. Balangir is 340 km west of Bhubaneswar.
The dreaded Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) belt of Orissa is yet to come out of the starvation-migration-death cycle. It accounts for 71 per cent of the state’s families below poverty line (BPL). The region spanning the southwestern tribal tract of Orissa came under the spotlight in 1986, when news of starvation deaths and distress sale of children in Kalahandi drew the attention of then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Tens of thousands of crores have since been spent on development of the region. Some areas, such as Kalahandi, have turned around.
But several pockets in the KBK belt remain trapped in abject poverty. In Balangir alone, about 62 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, official estimates say.
But data available with the Union Rural Development Ministry says only 476 (0.2 per cent) of the district’s 240,001 households covered by the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) have BPL cards that give them access to subsidised foodgrains.
The district administration is still in denial, so is state revenue minister Surya Narayan Patra. He said, “I have received a report from the Balangir collector on Jhintu Bariha’s family. It says starvation is not the cause of the deaths.”
Dr Purnachandra Sahu, chief district medical officer, said: “Most patients here suffer from malnutrition and anaemia.”
Patra said he had no information on the 50 deaths but would initiate a fresh enquiry into the Bariha case. “My whole family died due to lack of food,” said Jhintu’s father Champe (79). But Balangir collector Aswathy S said: “Jhintu Bariha was paid Rs 10,000 before his death.”
The state advisor to the Supreme Court-appointed Commission on Right to Food, said in its September 2009 report: “Inadequate food intake was taking a heavy toll on the health of the whole family.”
But Aswathy claimed, “We did everything possible for the family under the government’s social security programmes.”These programmes never really took off in Balangir. The Western Orissa consortium for implementing NREGS admitted in 2008 that the scheme had failed to deliver in Balangir.
The public distribution system also has holes. Distribution is done according to the 1997 BPL survey even though another survey was done in 2002.
Also, in the last 13 years, many have branched out of their original families after marriage, like Jhintu. But they aren’t entitled to PDS facilities. Besides, many migrated to other states in 1997 and were left out of the BPL list.
Food, Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister Sarada P Nayak blamed the Centre: “The 1997 list left out many.”

She was sold for Rs 40 two decades back; today she might have to sell her daughter

Written by Vibhuti Mishra for "The Tribune"

"I walk eight kilometres every day to earn Rs 260 a month. On some days we eat and on some days we don’t. We sleep on empty stomachs. I became a showpiece. They published my photographs and forgot I needed food to live." This comes from Banita (32) who was sold for Rs 40 in 1985. Her name along with that of her native place Kalahandi made it to the headlines, causing the then Prime Minister to rush to Orissa.

Driven by hunger and starvation, her sister-in-law Phanus Punji sold off 14-year-old Banita to one Pati Boda for just Rs 40 almost two decades back. The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia rushed to the remote village of Anlapali in the Khariar block of Kalahandi, where she lived. There was a beeline of politicians, officers and journalists to the place. The heart-rending story of Banita formed the staple of sensational stories in glossies and Kalahandi became synonymous with poverty, starvation and sale of children.

Eighteen years later the world has forgotten Banita who is still caught in the vortex of poverty and misery. She has become cynical. "Why do you all come? To take my pictures and print them? What do you come to see? My hunger, poverty, my blind husband, my famished children?" she cries out. Worn out and withered, Banita looks like an old woman. A mother of five and with a blind, ailing husband to look after, she is neck deep in loans and ever-increasing interest. None of her kids go to school and dreadful poverty stares her in the face. To stave off starvation, she perhaps has no other option but to sell her youngest child, a daughter who is barely three.

Pati Poda who bought her got her married to his blind, elderly son Bidyadhar Poda and she bore him five children. "My husband forbade me to have the operation. He said he would abandoned me if I got it done," she says explaining why she did not go for a family planning operation. To make matters worse she faced social boycott as she was not the legally wedded wife of Bidyadhar. The marriage did not get social sanction as they did not have the money to host a wedding feast.

"There was no marriage. I had no choice," she reveals calmly. However, 15 years later on October 21, 2000, her marriage was conducted according to Vedic rites, thanks to former union minister of state for railways Bhakta Charan Das who funded the wedding and the feast.

The villagers accepted her but life remained grim. She was engaged as a cook in an Anganwadi centre 8 km away. At first she earned Rs 3.50 a day; an amount that was hiked to Rs 7. Today she gets a monthly salary of Rs 260 which is not paid to her regularly and at times, if she buys leftover food from the center for her starving children, the supervisor deducts her salary.

She is the only earning member of her family. None of her children go to school and her blind husband cannot work. Sometimes her elder daughter tends cattle and gets some rice in as payment for the work. To ward off starvation, Banita has taken loans from local people at an interest of 5 per cent per month. She now lives in Khatimunda village. The other villagers are too poor to give any help to her. And Banita’s is perhaps the poorest family.

Banita’s case has been extensively reported but she has got little benefit. Says B. Behera, a social activist working in the Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput region, "It’s all because of the lack of political will and failure of administrative machinery. There are hundreds of such cases and poverty continues to stalk these poor souls. They are forced to sell everything, including their children, to eke out a living." But the government officials do not agree that any child has been sold. The much touted KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) project launched by the government of India in 1996 has failed to take off and bring about the all-round progress envisaged for the poor and poverty stricken people of the region. Says an official of the Bongomunda block, "Actually the funds for KBK were released almost four years after the programme was announced and then the administrative set up was not there. So it will take time. " However there have been constant allegations of corruption and siphoning off of funds which politicians like Bishwabhushan Harichandan, revenue minister of Orissa and B. K. Deo, MP from Kalahandi, deny.

Some years back Banita had to support her parents-in-law, too. But now they have died and along with them have died her hopes. All household things have been sold off and her life is a daily struggle against poverty and privation. Life has nothing much to offer her. Much like the promises of the district administration. Poverty alleviation is a topic that figures only in government meetings.

Banita is worse off than her sister-in-law Phanus who still lives in Anlapali. She has at least got an Indira Awas Yojana house to find shelter in. Even that has not come to Banita who in her search for food has unwittingly become food for publicity.

The evolution of Kosali Sambalpuri language

Written By: Satyajit Nayak

About a decade & half ago when the Indian parliament were discussing inclusion of Nepali language in the eight schedule of the Indian constitution,a member of parliament from western orissa stood up and said when nepali can be included in eight schedule then why not sambalpuri language wnicn is also called as Kosali.The member of Parliament Mr. Sriballav Panigrahi said the sambalpuri language has got a rich literature and is spoken by more than 1.5 crore people across 10 district of western orissa region,parts of Chattisgarh,part of Jharkhand etc which is more than the Nepali speaking population in India.He further added... now we are talking about removal of illiteracy and universalisation of primary education, the child 'is to be taught, is to be given education at the primary stage, in his own mother tongue, which is naturally not the standard language of that place.In the taribal areas , many children are not attracted to schools and they treat the standard language(Oriya) as a foreign language. In the tribal belts, we should make arrangement for Imparting education In their own mother tongue.He also mentioned the difference between Oriya and Sambalpuri(kosali) language which the Govt. of Orissa is describing as an dialect.

This discussion in the Indian parliament beemed across the drawing rooms of every Indian home through the TV and made it sure that Sambalpuri (Kosali) is now a recognized language all over.Much before these recognitions in the early 70's a popular sambalpuri song "Rangabati go Rangabati" written by Mitrabhanu Gauntia and sung by the legendary singer Jitendra Haripal and Krishna Patel was broadcasted on All India Radio.Soon it became a national anthem for every band party ushering the bridegroom to the house of the bride.So was the impact of this song that it was aired in early 1975 in Internation Radio Stations like BBC & Voice of America.It was the first time that any regional Indian song (other than Hindi) was aired by BBC.Years later many music director across the country copied this song and composed it by changing the lyrics into their own regional language with same meaning(Telugu song Rangabati) but nobody dared to change the rhythm and simplicity of the song.This was the beauty of this language.

The Origin of the Kosali Sambalpuri language can be found from the 12th century AD Stambheswari inscription from Subarnapur district which was recovered by some local historians around 20 years ago.It is to be mentioned that Western Orissa region along with chattisgarh was earlier known as the Dakhin Kosala Kingdom.After India's independence Chattisgarh was merged with Madhya Pradesh and western orissa (kosal) region with Orissa.Since then the Orissa govt. declared Oriya as the only Official language of the state and made it compulsory in schools thus side-lining the hundred years old Kosali Sambalpuri language without caring the sentiments of people from western orissa.

But this forceful imposition of Oriya did not dethere the spirit of the kosali people.Years after the merger of dakhin kosal (western orissa) with Orissa ,a spirited kosali Satya Narayan Bohidar (born on 1st August 1913 at Sonepur)prepared the firstever dictionary and basic grammar to the uncodified Sambalpuri Language.This was a revolution aswell as a proof of the Uniformity of the sambalpuri Kosali language.Years later noted sambalpuri litterateur, translator and scholar Sri Hemachandra Acharya,popularly known as the Balmiki of Kosali literature produced a master piece "The Kosali Ramayana – Ram Raha", published by the Sambalpur University in 2001.It was indeed a milestone achieved.This Kosali Sambalpuri Ramayana - "Ram Raha" made him dearer to the masses in Western Orissa region where people speak Kosali (Sambalpuri) language. Even today, people in several villages in the region religiously preserve and recite his translated version. He was also engaged in translation of the Upanishad into Kosali but unfortunately breathed his last on the 26th of August 2009.

Kosali sambalpuri language got another moral booster when Dr.Nilamadhab Panigrahi,an eminent essayist,litterateur,Poet-Author of many Books, Editor of 'Nishan' & many more literary works single handedly composed the Sambalpuri Mahabharat "Mahabharat Katha".This book was also published by Sambalpur University.Many of his literary work included 'Sambalpuri-Koshali Grammer'Book which he co-authored with Dr.Prafulla Tripathy.Mr Panigrahi was the torch bearer of the kosali sambalpuri language in the recent times.He refused to accept the'Sarala Samman' which was to be given by IMFA Group because of his intense love for the Sambalpuri/Kosali language.Sarala Samman is usually given to people who have worked to popularise Oriya language. He was also the convenor of 'Koshal Sammellan'along with Mr.P.R.Dubey & Pandit Prayag Datta Joshi,which spearheaded socio-linguistic movement in Kosal region.He sat on hunger strike demanding Primers(Primary Books) for Total Literacy Campaign to be made in 'Sambalpuri/Kosali' language in Sambalpur,Kalahandi,Balangir,sundargarh,sonepur,nuapada,baudh,debgad,Jharsuguda & Bargarh districts & prevailed upon the district authorities.An erstwhile Sanskrit & Odia Scholar who abandoned writing in Odia language since about three decades.Also a prominent personality in India in the field of Indian Classical Music & was Principal of 'Gandharva Viswa-Vidyalaya',U.P.

As the world was welcoming the new millenium with full joy and enthusiasm a new torch-bearer for the Kosali Sambalpuri language came into the picture.It was non-other than the un-educated(never went to school) nature poet Haldhar Nag.Due to his simple rendition of the poem he became a hit with the masses of western orissa.He is by far the most popular sambalpuri writer in western orissa.His masterpiece "Aamar gaan'r masan padaa"(Our Village's graveyard) and "Dhadho Bargach"(Old Banyan Tree) are very much popular through out the region.He is also credited with introducing the first Kosali sambalpuri vernacular Magazine "Varni".

Many More intellects,poets like Nimai Charan Panigrahi,Amulya Dandsena,Dr.Harekrishna Meher,Kalicharan Panigrahi,Jatindra Pradhan etc are contributing a lot to popularise the Sambalpuri literature.Besides all these greats there are thousands of Unknown poet,writer who are sitiing quitely under some mango graves in some remote village and are penning down their expression in their mother toungue Kosali sambalpuri with the hope of getting recognized some day.

As we entered another decade in the new millenium, the youth or the young generation of Kosal are taking charge to popularise their Mother tongue Kosali and trying hard to get it recognized officially.Now typing the word Sambalpuri in youtube or google search will give you ample evidence of it's uniqueness and sweetness.As the world was welcoming the year 2010 , a young brigade of Kosali youth launched the historic firstever Kosali/Sambalpuri E (Online) Monthly Magazine "BENI" which can be read in the following url.(http://kddf.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/beni-final2.pdf).Edited by Saket Sahu,It was launched as the clock hit midnight welcoming the New year which incidentally happens to be the Second biggest festival of western orissa "PUSPUNI"...

So thus the Sambalpuri Kosali language took more than 900 years to evolve and it is asking all our beurocrates,politician to give her the due respect which she deserves by including her in the eight schedule of the Indian constitution and formally declaring it as a scheduled language of Indian Republic....

The first Kosali E-magazine “BENI” launched on January 1st 2010

It's a great news for all the Kosali people......

For the first time in history a KOSALI E-MAGAZINE "BENI" was lauched Online...

Read the first edition of first Koshli E-magazine “BENI” . Thanks to Saket Sahu, Editor of “ BENI” for this initiative and hard work. Also, we would like to express our deep thanks to the members of the Editorial Board for their enthusiastic support and valuable suggestions for the development of the journal, to the contributors, the supporters, and wise citizens of “Koshalanchal”.

Please click the link below to read the Kosali e-magazine BENI.......

http://kddf.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/beni-final2.pdf

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READER 

JAI KOSAL

Srilankan Cricketers Bowled over by Sambalpuri sarees

Swashbuckling opener Tillakaratne Dilshan may have been every bowler’s nightmare but today he was bowled over by something which has been every Kosali & Oriya woman’s love.

Same goes for Ajantha Mendis. The Sri Lanka Army officer has bamboozled the batsmen across the world with his mysterious carrom ball but for a change he was the victim today. Sambalpuri saree was the scalper in both the cases.

The cricket frenzy in this part of the country and the pressure of a crunch game notwithstanding, Sri Lanka cricketers today found time for Kosali sarees.

They ventured out of the team hotel and stepped into a famous saree store to do their shopping.

The salesmen and store managers at “Meher” were pleasantly surprised to see Dilshan along with three other cricketers walking into their outlet at about 4.30 p.m. They went about their shopping a cool manner asking the salesmen to show the best. “They loved the Sambalpuri and Bomkai sarees. Besides some of them also picked up chiffon, georgette and cotton sarees,” the store manager Gouranga Patra said.

The first batch of players stayed for about 45 minutes and purchased sarees estimated at Rs 60,000. As soon as Dilshan and co returned to the hotel, the second batch started. This time, it was a group of five including Mendis and Lasith Malinga. They headed for “Meher” where they purchased sarees worth Rs 60,000.

“Besides the cricketers buying sarees, the team manager also wanted to have silver jewellery,” said Kishore Patra.

By the time the Lankan cricketers were busy buying the sarees, news of them shopping spread and a large crowd gathered outside to have a glimpse. Since the cricketers have been confined to their hotel for security reasons, there is no chance locals could get a close view of them.

As soon as they came out of the shop, some of the fans tried to shake hands with and even managed pictures.

Source: Indian Express dated 21 Dec

People of Western Orissa demands for separate KOSAL State

With the Centre agreeing to separate statehood for Telangana, a similar movement for Koshal in Orissa is all set to be renewed.

The demand for a separate state of Koshal, to be carved out of western Orissa districts, had gathered momentum in October 2003 after former BJP MP Balgopal Mishra started his movement to generate public opinion in this regard. The districts which Mishra wanted to be included in the Koshal state are Kalahandi, Nuapara, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Boudh, Bolangir, Sonepur and Sundargarh.

The name of the new state has been derived from Koshal, an erstwhile princely state of 11th century that comprised these districts and parts of present-day Chhattisgarh. Mishra said he would soon revive the movement. “The public sentiment in western Orissa has always been for a separate Koshal state. It’s just that the leaders of the region have failed to fulfil it,” he said.

Meanwhile the student union of Sambalpur University on tuesday blocked the national highway in demand of Kosal state ..Similar situation was there in Rajendra college Balangir where students boycotted classes in demand of Kosal state...

Source:Indian Express

Kosal region reeling under severe cold wave

The whole Kosal region continued to shiver in a cold wave on Saturday .The cold wave forced people to stay indoors for several hours in the morning.

The minimum temperature has dipped below ten degrees in several places in Kosal region but the coastal regions of Orissa remained warmer. 

The towns in the (Kosal) western districts which recorded a temperature below ten degrees include Sambalpur 8.9, Bolangir 9.8, Sundergarh 9.9, and Bhabanipatna 9.5 degrees Celsius, acc to the Bhubaneswar meteorological office . 

'The temperatures were recorded early in the morning,' he said. 

The state capital Bhubaneswar however remained warmer, recording a minimum temperature of 13.9 degrees, the official said. 

The coastal towns which also remained warmer were Puri, Gopalpur, Paradip, Balasore recording a minimum temperature of 17.1, 16.1, 15.2 and 14.6 degrees Celsius respectively, he said.

Orissa Govt. Official tourism Video forgets Kosal region

Check the official video of the Orissa tourism department.....This video is produced by the Dept. of Tourism Orissa Govt........

And to our surprise they have not mentioned a single place from Kosal (western Orissa) region....
In the whole video you can see Konark,puri,chilika,lingaraj,Ratnagiri,Dhauli and some tribal dance from southern orissa districts etc...but you will not find a single clip of any tourist place from kosal region.....Don't you call it biased ???

Sambalpuri Saree,sambalpuri dance,ghumura,hirakud  dam,harishankar,nrusinghanath,samaleswari temple,chousath jogini temple at ranipur-jharial and the list is long enough to post here...still not a single clip from any of the above places.....This is what i call sick colonial mentality of Orissa govt.....

They simply forgot that there is a region called Kosal (so called Western orissa) and there is a culture called Kosali or Sambalpuri Culture.....

Honestly...we can't do anything other than watching it and accepting it whole heartedly as we are doing for the last 7 decades ..

Finally Balangir Medical College will become reality !!

The state government has given a green signal to this RVS Educational Trust to set up the proposed Medical College and Hospital in Balangir district.

Coimbatore-based RVS Group of Institutions, led by Dr KV Kuppusamy, is managing 87 Educational Institutions through out the Country. 

The high-level committee, headed by Development Commissioner Satya Prakash Nanda, has favoured the RVS Group's proposal out of a total of six which came in response to the WODC's offer.

Approving the recommendations of a high-level committee, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) to go ahead with a MoU for the purpose.

Planning and coordination Minister Anananga Udaya Singhdeo also discussed with the WODC officials in this regard and the MoU would be signed some time Next week . 

The WODC had invited expression of interest for the Medical College and Hospital in Balangir district last year in view of Shree Balaji Education and Charitable Trust backing out of the project.

The RVS Group will invest at least Rs 100 crore, while the WODC would provide a Rs 10-crore grant and 25 acres of land in Balangir. The Medical College will have an intake capacity of 100 with a 300-bed Hospital at its initial stage. 

Subsequently it would be enhanced to a 500-bed Hospital and gradually to a 1,000-bedded super specialty Hospital . 

Source :- Orissadiary.com

New KOSALI (Sambalpuri) Movie ULGULAN

ORISSA HAS a huge chunk of population that speaks Koshali, the predominant language of Sambalpur and Western Orissa region. However, the film industry of the State has hardly explored the potential market existing for Sambalpuri films. Hence, the venture of Maa Mangala Movies production house to produce Ullgunan - a feature film in Sambalpuri appears interesting.

Ullgunan means revolution in Sambalpuri and the film attempts to portray a revolution that had taken shape in 18th century Western Orissa by the local people against the ruling Marathas who were misbehaving with the women while coming to the villages to collect taxes, explains Deepak Panda who has scripted the story, screenplay and dialogues. “It’s partly fact and partly fiction. In fact there has been a very popular story in this region that tells how a young man’s courage to fight the mighty Marathas’ evil looks at women inspired the masses to revolt against the rulers,” he adds.

Acclaimed filmmaker Mehmood Hussain, the proud product of the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune who made the critically acclaimed film Dhare Alua, has returned to direction after a long interval. “We are confident that a filmmaker of his calibre would be able to do justice to the period film,” states producers’ duo Sanjay Sahoo and Purnamasi Sahoo. Hussain has roped in cinematographer P.Satya and Biswanath Ray as his film editor.

The cast includes Partha and Dipti – the lead pair besides many amateur actors from the region where the film’s story is based. The film has been shot in several locations in Western Orissa and actors have been chosen from among the locals to give the film an authentic flavour, says the director.

The enchanting Sambalpuri music and dance play a pivotal role in the film. Babloo Mitra has scored the music while popular singers Pankaj Jaal, Sailabhama, Pamy and a few others have lent their voice. Amulya Pal, Amir Pati and Pintoo have been the dance choreographers. The film will be ready for release in the New Year.

Source:- Indian Express (Shyamhari Chakra)

Another western orissa farmer kills self,govt sleeping

Yet another debt-ridden farmer committed suicide in Birmaharajpur area of Subarnapur district on

Saturday night. Prior to this, at
least six farmers in western Orissa had killed themselves in the current kharif
season. Kartik Mahakud (60) of Karnapali village of Birmaharajpur sub-division allegedly consumed poison and died.

The incident severely affected traffic on Sambalpur-Sonepur Road on Sunday afternoon, as both Congress and BJP workers blocked the road, demanding justice for the farmers. Carrying Mahakud's body, they de-manded adequate compensation for the family of the deceased farmer. They called off the agitation after Subarnapur additional district magistrate Gangadhar Mahandanda assured villagers of appropriate action to help the victim's family.

Sources said Mahakud of Karnapali was a renowned farmer of the locality. He owned five acres of land. But that was not sufficient to maintain his big family. Mahakud has two sons and five daughters. Of them, he had managed to get one of his sons and four of his daughters married. "He was a good and sincere farmer, but was troubled over severe crop damage this year," a villager Rabi Sahu said.

Sources said the deceased had consumed some poisonous substance on Saturday night. He was found in a critical condition by villagers the fol-lowing morning and taken to the hospital where he was declared brought dead. Police have registered an unnatural death case and handed over the body to his family on Sunday, after conducting an autopsy.

"We have registered a case and handed the body over to his family, after conducting an autopsy," a senior police officer of the district said. How-ever, police could not identifythe substance he had consumed to commit suicide. "We are not sure whether it was pesticide or something else. We will know after we get the post mortem report," police added.

But, the district administration followed their usual agenda of denying any links of the suicide to debts or crop loss. "Since the harvesting is yet to start in the locality, how can a farmer assume the quantity of his paddy production. I do not thing the cause has any link with crop loss or debts," collector (Sonepur) Bhawani Prasad Panda said. "But, I have send my ADM to review the situation and submit a report in this issue," Panda added.

Incidentally Pandab Bhoi (38) of Rengali block committed suicide on August 12, Gourahari Patra (48) of Lakhanpur block on October 4, and Bidyadhar Bagh (40) of Rengali block on October 7. On October 18, An-gad Barik (65) of Jamenkira block committed suicide by jumping in front a running train.

Similarly, Kusha Majhi of Tarbode (Nuapara) and Maharshee Narang of Hemgir (Sundergarh) had committed for the same reason. Three other farmers from coastal and southern Orissa had committed suicide over the past one week.

Source :- Times of India

Sambalpur MP demands separate Kosal State

The demand for a separate Western Orissa state was raised from an unexpected quarter today.

Former minister and Congress MP from Sambalpur Amarnath Pradhan today threatened that if the State Government continued to neglect Western Orissa then we will not hesitate to demand a separate State. Pradhan issued this threat at a news conference convened by the party here on the farmers’ suicide issue. Officially though, the Congress is opposed to the demand for a separate Western Orissa state.

Criticising the State Government for neglecting the people of the area for years together, Pradhan also announced that he will also raise the issue in Parliament. He maintained that days are not far when the people of the area will renew their agitation to press for their demand.

Throwing light on the over-all neglect of the area, the former minister said that schools and colleges do not have teachers, largescale vacancies of doctors and other staff continue in hospitals despite the outbreak of cholera and many villages do not have roads and drinking water facilities.

Observing that this state of affairs has continued for too many years, Pradhan said that people will not remain silent now. Pradhan said that the Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) has failed to live upto the expectations.

The council headquarters is still in Bhubaneswar and the State Government has failed to fix it despite giving assurance in the Assembly. Former minister Prakash Debta also supported Pradhan’s demand.

What is significant is the fact that other MLAs from Western Orissa and several other senior Congress functionaries were present at the news conference. But none of them opposed such a demand.

The demand for a separate Kosala state which had peaked a few years back had receded to the background because of lack of unity among the agitators. The demand was raised by former BJP MLA Balgopal Mishra though the State and central units of the party never publicly supported it.

Source:-IndianExpress

Regional Imbalance of Kosal region

Ten Western Orissa districts lag behind their counterparts of coastal districts in core sectors with meagre percentage till date. The administrative set-up of Western Orissa Development Council is illustrated in a tabular form as well as the position of other core sectors in the enclosed statements.
Looking at the degree of development/ backwardness of 10 Western Orissa districts, it can be said that out of 87 blocks only 5 blocks are developed, 25 are developing, another 25 are backward and 32 blocks are very backward, whereas in coastal districts 70 blocks are developed, 50 blocks are very backward out of total 227 blocks .

Only 5.7% developed blocks 36.78% very backward blocks are there in WODC districts. This is against 30.84% of the developed blocks only 22.03% are in very backward blocks in non –WODC districts.

(Source – Ghadei Committee Report to OLA)

As per the L.T.A.P of K.B.K. the 4 WODC Districts are having irrigation potentials much below the State average.

Accordingly, steps may be taken for improving the backwardness of areas on priority basis.

Taking into consideration the current drought situation in the entire 10 districts of Western Orissa, maximum emphases may be given on irrigation projects with particular thrust upon lift irrigation facilities. The requisite date concerning to the irrigation sector are also furnished in tabular form in this report.